I had a lot of fun with Banner of the Maid, and I really enjoyed the more unique elements that it offers. There are some issues with menu organization and balance, but the game loop of progressing through the French Revolution while also building an affinity with various factions was brilliant. Now, which other historical figures can we turn to waifus and husbandos?

Pokémon Sword and Shield: Isle of Armor also offers competitive features with a wealth of new tools and resources to make your battles even more interesting, and give you a helping hand with building new teams. Through this DLC, the metagame is almost certain to evolve, at least until the Crown Tundra expansion drops later this year. Oooh, I’m excited already.

Star Ocean The Divine Force is a strongly crafted action JRPG that returns the franchise to form, boasting involved upgrading and customization systems alongside a well-thought-out narrative that may not satisfy or intrigue everyone but will compel those entranced by its cutting edges of notion. Moreover, its excellent English voice cast intensifies the emotional weight of several story-heavy scenes and character-bonding moments. Unfortunately, performance and graphical presentation faults and more minor issues damage the overall experience. Although, if you can look past those stumbles, Star Ocean The Divine Force is a must-play entry for all fans of the genre, whether they already are fans of the franchise or not.

To enjoy Sword of the Necromancer requires you to be invested in the narrative, but to do that, you’ll have to get through gameplay that lacks many refinements that a roguelike needs. The system of bringing monsters back alive to fight for you is limited because you have to manage only four slots of items, which often shadows the game’s most unique systems. As charming as this game looks, it doesn’t ever become a challenging adventure or an interesting experience.

Twin Breaker: A Sacred Symbols Adventure sets itself apart from other brick-breakers by not only having a narrative but also by including some unique systems. The multiple paddles add some new elements to the genre to put brick-breaker masters’ skills to the test. Regardless of the challenge, the game has a nice difficulty curve that makes it possible to pick up and enjoy a few levels at a time. Still, Twin Breaker lacks options and some quality-of-life features that could have made the entire experience more enjoyable. There are a few different modes here to keep you playing, but I can see most players just getting through the story and then quickly moving on to something else.

Sadly, it’s tough to feel connected to the characters, but if you’re hungry for an action-filled survival horror experience, The Callisto Protocol has just what you need.

Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions is an absolute rush to the goal as its soccer systems don’t lean too heavily into the outrageous. Instead, it finds a perfect balance of zany and strategy through control depth and over-the-top systems. The highlight is the two very different, but equally as important story modes, with a few multiplayer options to cap off the fun. You may encounter some AI issues, and some objectives during the story mode may not sit well, but you won’t want to sit on the bench for this game.

Prinny 1•2: Exploded and Reloaded is as great a title for the Switch as it was for the PSP. It’s challenging 2D platforming will cause many moments of frustration, but you’d be hard-pressed not to want to jump right back in and try again. The platforming physics themselves can come off a bit dated, but the excellent level design and the genuinely unique experience that these adventures offer make up for most of what lacks mechanically.

Slave Zero X rejuvenates a classic franchise with intense action and a challenging combat system in a dystopian future. The steep learning curve and intricate gameplay mechanics demand mastery, offering a rewarding experience. With its compelling narrative and immersive soundtrack, the game stands as a testament to the potential of modernizing dormant IPs, providing a memorable and engaging action-packed journey.

Legend Bowl is one for the diehard football nerd. Whether you are looking for a quick game with friends or looking to study a screen full of statistics like it was Money Ball, this is a jam-packed football experience crammed full of content, customization, and engaging gameplay. If you’re burnt out on the bigger offerings and their micro-transactions, then Legend Bowl is a sports game with plenty of value.

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot – Daima – Adventure Through the Demon Realm Part 1 delivers a charming, nostalgia-infused expansion with fresh characters, grounded exploration, and cinematic battles, though its abrupt conclusion and pacing quirks slightly hamper the overall experience.

EvoCreo is a heartfelt tribute to classic Pokémon games, delivering a familiar but engaging monster-taming experience filled with nostalgic charm. While it closely mirrors its inspiration, EvoCreo offers satisfying progression systems and creative creature designs that keep players invested. Its story may lack originality, but the gameplay mechanics and customization options add meaningful depth. With a recent Steam release and future updates planned, EvoCreo is a strong choice for fans seeking an old-school creature-collecting adventure.

Shuten Order is a wildly inventive visual novel adventure that fuses detective work, horror, romance, and satire into five distinct storylines, backed by stunning art direction and a compellingly bizarre narrative from the creators of Danganronpa and Rain Code.

It’s not fun to play. Despite how smooth Kay feels to control, it never reached its fullest potential due to the dull linearity and thoughtless platforming sequences. Some players may find this to be a worthwhile title to experience from its story elements alone. Still, it solely depends on how one intakes depression and overall grief and whether or not the game ties to your own struggles and interpretations thoughtfully.

High on Life knows what it wants to be and delivers that experience to players who likely want the same thing. The level of humor and writing is on another level. Still, you’ll want to pace yourself, if only not to grow tired of the waves of enemies you’ll encounter, which is thankfully broken up with platforming sections and standout interactions. The phrase, “Made by gamers, for gamers,” has never rung truer than when describing High on Life.

As great of a collection as Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha is, shmup fans would probably already own each of the titles on Switch. However, this does allow them to own them all in one physical collection. There isn’t anything added to the collection either, so you’re pretty much just getting the games. Still, I’d say this is an excellent collection of the games, and the Strikers series makes it worth it in the end if you don’t already own them.

With a lackluster story, slow gameplay, and dated graphics, perhaps 9 Monkeys of Shaolin should have trained with the Shaolin monks a little bit longer before it was released.

WrestleQuest is a one-of-a-kind experience that takes the wrestling and fantasy JRPG genres to places neither of them have gone before. Its clever writing and humorous cast puts the smackdown on the player to deliver a piledriver to others who try to compete. While some systems and design choices weigh on the experience, a ton of charm is packed in this adventure to bring this game home. And that’s the bottom line because Noisy Pixel said so.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite is extremely fun to play once through with your friends, but when you’re expected to play the same stages multiple times, the gameplay wains on the player. It becomes more tedious than anything because the stages themselves just aren’t that interesting. Playing higher difficulties provides more challenge to your crew, but it gets repetitive. You’re expected to want to do this for more gun customization, but that’s barely interesting. Regardless, I have to admit, shooting down waves of aliens with friends sure is entertaining.

Curios Expedition 2 is a roguelike that would probably be lots of fun to play on a video chat with friends, voting on actions as a group, and watching the chaos unfold. Otherwise, it’s an enjoyable exploration game with a host of unique features that lets you put your mind to the test without too much stress unless you want it to be.

In broad strokes, the story of Subway Midnight feels like a metaphor for dealing with trauma. However, despite how much I enjoyed the artwork and environments, the vagueness left me without much to hold onto after it was finished. Players who do tend to project onto blank slate characters, though, will likely find Subway Midnight a more profound, more emotional experience, so I’d recommend the title to that crowd.

Long Gone Days is an ambitious title that attempts to showcase the horrors of war and the effect it has on citizens and those who fight. The themes can be a little dark at times, and not every mechanic lands. Despite this, it is a game with a lot of heart that manages to stand out in a wave of RPGs. While it may not hit the mainstream, I am certain that Rourke and the rest of his friends will be talked about for years to come.

Fia and the Wondrous Academy has a remarkable cast whom I always loved seeing interacting on screen. But almost every single facet tied to the gameplay experience provided no fulfillment, simply being an exercise in going through the motions for the sake of obligatory progress. No matter your history with the Mado Monogatari IP, this outing is not worth your time.

Ereban: Shadow Legacy is an ambitious entry into the tactical stealth genre, bringing a fresh perspective with its unique gameplay mechanics and visually striking design. The game introduces Ayana, a character navigating through a richly developed sci-fi world filled with complex challenges and emotional narratives. While it offers innovative gameplay and deep character development, the game is not without its flaws, including a confusing start, control issues, and uneven difficulty levels.

Super Bomberman R 2 doesn’t do much to differentiate itself from its predecessor or the series. There’s just nothing really here to justify a purchase with a campaign consisting of only three unimaginative levels, very limited power-ups, and a strange implication of online modes. The charm is still present when playing classic modes, but nothing that has been added moves the series in any significant direction.

Heartworm delivers a moody and nostalgic survival horror experience, drawing clear inspiration from genre staples like Resident Evil and Fatal Frame. Its retro presentation, eerie sound design, and clever environmental puzzles evoke a sense of dread that fans of classic horror will appreciate. However, despite a promising setup, the game falters with a thin, disjointed narrative and several underdeveloped mechanics, leaving the full promise of its design unrealized.

Out of Line doesn’t break the mold of adventure games but still manages to offer a straightforward puzzle experience through a gorgeous hand-painted world. There’s fun to found during each movement of gameplay, but the lack of challenge and the minimalistic narrative doesn’t make for an engaging time. It’s a low-impact puzzle adventure that could easily be enjoyed for a nice afternoon game session.

Ganryu 2: Hakuma Kojiro is a game with instant playability and one that you can easily jump right into with smooth and addictive gameplay. There’s a sense of rewarding challenge and progression to the game that’ll make you want to keep revisiting over and over. No doubt this game is old-school tough, but the journey to mastering the levels and nailing that perfect rhythm and flow is what perfectly captures the unique magic of this timeless 2D gaming genre.